


Somewhere I Have Never Travelled

by thesunflowermachine



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: DarkDany, F/M, but not evil dany, but not post war, i'm trying my hand at political drama, post king's landing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 09:25:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18938095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesunflowermachine/pseuds/thesunflowermachine
Summary: The bells never made their music. But the war raged on and the dragon fire continued to burn over Westeros.All Arya Stark knows is that it's her time to act and seize what's hers before the fire is victorious.





	Somewhere I Have Never Travelled

Arya Stark thought she'd be used to it by now.

The constant traveling. Always going somewhere. Never knowing what would come next.

Sometimes it was exciting. Sometimes it was frightening. Other times it was both.

So here she was at the end of the world it seems. Running off on a white horse from King's Landing to somewhere untravelled in her own life.

She followed what people managed to leave the city. Those who escaped the Dothraki and the Unsullied, that is.

It felt Arya never knew a longer journey than the one from King's Landing to the Stormlands. Of course, she feared nothing. She was Arya Stark, after all. But there was a nag in her heart. A nag that told her that she was venturing into the unknown. This unknown would be something she had not prepared for ever in her life. That was an uneasy feeling for Arya. The doubt began to mark her every step. It was the same doubt that started creeping into her as soon as she arrived back in Westeros. Arya doubted whether she'd be able to be herself again, to finish her list, to find her family again. And then Gendry came along and she doubted whether she was ever going to be enough Arya Stark for him.

Bloody well that did me, Arya thought.

When she arrived in King's Landing with Sandor, she only had one goal in mind. That was simple enough. Her head was clear. For once in for what felt like ages. She was going to kill Cersei Lannister. Perhaps it would kill her, but revenge had marked so much of her life. It was the crutch that moved her when all seemed lost. What had Sandor told her when she was a girl? Anger was good as anything to keep you going. So, Cersei’s death would move her beyond the chaos of her father’s lies. She would kill Cersei Lannister if it killed her. But then she didn't. Sandor gave her a gift before that moment arrived. A gift that she had to fight for again like anything of value in her miserable life.

So, truly, was this mission any different? Bathing in streams, scraping together she could for herself and the horse. Desperately looking for cover from the fierce storms she encountered in the Stormlands.

Arya felt tired. But it wasn't until she reached the outside of Storm's End did she feel the aches do deep in her bones that she could barely stand. Nothing but fury drove here here. All other senses fell like so many of the ashes she felt dust over her as the dragon's fire scorched the whole of King's Landing. Now she felt like those ruins as well.

She made her way to Storm's End with the help of some small folk she met along a village. These small folk also heard of a new Storm Lord. He was one of King Robert's gets, but he was a great hero, they all heard. That much had to count for something, surely. The Dragon Queen rose him up on account of his valor at the Battle of Winterfell. To these accounts, Arya would only nod and accept anything they had to offer her.

When Arya got off her horse at the entrance of Storm’s End great castle, she patted the lovely beast. Her hero. She wondered if Nymeria would like her. Perhaps not. With a gentle tug, Arya and the horse made their way to the gates where they were met with a pair of guards. Arya knew she looked rough. She'd managed to wash her clothes as much as possible and she was reasonably clean, but her scars were still healing. They would not be friendly.

One of the guards was a tall man with dark black hair and small brown eyes. "What do you want?" He said, clearly making his distaste known.  
Arya stood firm. "I'd like to see Gendry, Lord Gendry Baratheon."

The shorter one with a pinched nose and red hair spoke this time. "Doubt he wants to see you."

Arya put her hand on her Needle. "He will want to see me. I'm Arya Stark of Winterfell. Call him and he will know who I am. If you fail to do so, well, I would not want to be there to see the Lord Baratheon unleash his wrath."

At last, the men seemed intimidated by her warning. That was good, she thought. The more they feared her, the more likely they were to call their new lord.

At that, the shorter one was nudged by the bigger one. He went inside the castle only to return with someone Arya assumed was a young maester and Gendry. Her breath hitched for a second. But she stood tall.

Gendry’s eyes were wide with emotions that Arya couldn't make out with certainty. "Arya." He spoke her name in that breathless way he did now. The one that made her feel hot and melted from her chest down to her ones. Not that she would let that show. She stood firm before him.

"I've come from King's Landing."

He frowned. "King's Landing? Maester Lyle said it burned. Queen Cersei never surrendered so she attacked with wildfire and Queen Daenerys burned back. Ain't that true?"

Arya nodded. "That's true."

His face looked even more confused. "Then how are you alive?"

Arya looked over at the guards and the maester. "I think we should speak alone."

There wasn't much else to say that could be said in front of these men. What words she had left were for his ears alone. Gendry’s blue eyes met hers and they knew what the other thought immediately. Arya didn't ask him to let her in. She simply led her horse forth and they all followed her into the castle. A castle so safe no one could ever hope to take what was dear to her again.

\-------

Gendry had a private solar in the caste now. His castle. That notion was strange to Arya. Almost as odd as it felt when she first saw him in the Winterfell's forge. He seemed awkward to Arya. They had not been alone since that moment when he offered marriage in Winterfell's outside corridor. The same place where they made love.

Arya watched as Gendry rubbed his palms with unease over his new fine leathers. They were perfectly fit for a lord.

"Do you want to take a seat? I can get you some water if you want." Gendry offered, moving a chair for her to take.

A part of her didn't want to sit, but al the exhaustion screamed at her to take his gesture. She sat down and sighed.  
"A lord isn't meant to serve his guests. That's for servants."

Gendry scowled. "That's alright. I can do it. They got enough work to do."

And that made her smile. His lordship didn't make him any different. Never her humble Gendry.

"I don't need water. Thank you."

He looked confused. Gendry wasn't a man for many words. He'd never been. Instead, he took a chair and faced across from where she was sitting.

Arya bit her lip. Like the stupid Arya Stark she'd always been. "I don't really know how I made it out."

He nodded. "From King's Landing?"

"Yes. At one point, I was with Sandor in the castle ready to kill Queen Cersei. And then, I wasn't. He told me to leave so I did. That's what made sense. We were going to die there. So, I ran out into the streets. You'd think that would be the safe part, but it wasn't. Dragon fire came down from the sky and wildfire all around every other space all while the soldiers went mad. The bells never rang until everything was buried underneath the seven hells."

Gendry's face looked very grave. "You made it out with just this horse? The Gods must love you as much as I do."

That made Arya feel burning the way it did the last time he said he loved her, that she was beautiful. Why was she more scared of that feeling than the fucking dragon fire that scraped her soles in King's Landing?

Her eyes turned to a large painting of a map in the corner wall before answering responding. "Do you think I could stay here until I can reach Jon?"

If Gendry was upset by her deflection, he did not show that in his face. "That's alright with me. There's plenty of rooms here. I ain't even been to any of them but the one they said was mine right here."

Arya nodded. It wasn't that moment until she noticed how spacious the room was. The decor looked simple enough save for some gold tapestries and a massive bed held by some ebon wood framing.

"Is that your bed?" Arya said, standing up, feeing sore, but not so sore that she couldn't walk over to inspect his space.

"Er, yes. Still not used to it. My back isn't used to all the feathers. I was used to a cot or ground before I got here."

Arya nodded before she sat down on the bed. She could feel or think nothing. Only instinct came to her like she was in a trance. The first bit of clothes she reached to take off was her leather jerkin. Then she slipped off her shoes. "I plan to stay in another room soon, but not today. Others will expect me to take a bedroom, I expect. And I won't disappoint them. But, I intend to stay here all day and night if I can. Do you mind, my lord?"

Gendry's expression looked hungry. He wanted her, she knew. It was only when her hands started to unlace her breeches did he leave the chair. By the time the breeches were cast on the floor, Gendry was pushing Arya further down onto the bed.

His forehead was pressed against hers, his hands pressing her back her own into the bedding. She could feel his stiffness push down against her abdomen. It was enough to make her smirk.

That seemed to only put some fire into him. "Say it," he said in a ragged voice.

Arya raised her eyebrow. "Say what?"

"I love you."

Arya answered back the only way she knew, with a bite and a kiss.  
\----  
In the morning, Gendry's solar was filled with a cool winter light. He barred the door at some point in the night so no servants came in to disturb his sleep. Once again, Arya was awake while he remained in slumber. The vision was enough to make her feel soft and whole again. But she wasn't.

Arya gazed down at all the scars she acquired over the years. The bites she received the last night. She felt the hurts still healing from the battle. She felt the soreness between her legs from her couplings with Gendry the previous day. He was a fool in so many ways, but hers without question. There was a fury in his love making when she could not say she loved him. So he felt the need to show her how much he loved her, wanted her. Even so, she felt the words trapped in her throat, like a rabbit caught in a hunter's trick. Gods, she wanted to say the words. She wanted to it to be easy. But it bloody wasn't! She felt all this overwhelming disgust at her inability to be as he wanted, to be as she wanted but she felt like that rabbit she imagined, caught, only crying for nothing to come and save her.

Her thoughts twisted her into a great knot until a knock was at the door.

"My lord? This is Maester Lyle. I am loathe to disturb your morning, but I must have a word. A raven arrived from the Citadel with vital news."

At that, Gendry awoke. He looked groggy and annoyed. "Get dressed," he blurted to Arya. He then shouted at the door. "Fine. I'll be there. Just wait a little. I got to get decent."

Arya dressed in a haste just like Gendry. "Should I hide?"

He shook his head. "What's the point of something stupid like that?"

So, Arya stood by as Gendry unbarred the door, allowing the maester inside his solar.

The maester looked at Arya with both surprise and absolute banality.

He must think I'm wretched but the scene itself does not surprise him, Arya thought.

As Gendry closed the door behind him, Maester Lyle turned his glance from Arya to Gendry. "I think it might be best if this news was only between the two of us, Lord Baratheon."

Gendry scoffed. "There's nothing you can say that I won't tell her anyway. So just get on with it. We were sleeping so it must be something important you got to say."

The maester stiffened. "Indeed, the news is vital and urgent. If Lady Arya insists on listening, then I suppose she should know the details. The last war is over. Queen Daenerys was victorious as to be expected. But, they say she wants all the great houses to arrive immediately in the capitol to pledge fealty. No traitors will be tolerated in her new world."

"Aye, so are we to leave?" Gendry said, rubbing his hands threw his shaggy black hair.

A nod of the head was all the maester needed to answer that particular question. "I suggest you practice some kneeling. As the last Baratheon, you're in some danger. My old friends have sent unofficial words stating that Queen Daenerys has been insisting on executions in the capitol as of late. No Lannister or Baratheon is safe, I'm afraid."

Arya stood in silence. Sansa was right. Her own instinct was right. The queen would not wait for her enemies to grow stronger. She would pick them out by root and stem if there was nothing to get in her way.

After the maester left, though not before casting one last strange look at Arya, the solar was quiet.

"Well, fuck me," Gendry was left to say.

However, Arya finally understood what her next move would be. She walked over to where Gendry stood by the door, and she placed her hands on his shoulders.

His blue eyes pierced into hers. The answer was so clear now.

"Gendry, do you still want to be my husband?"

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading. I love feedback of any kind. This is my first time at a narrative in a long time so I'm kind of swimming in the dark!


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